


Embers

by itsonlyahat



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 12:19:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7639903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsonlyahat/pseuds/itsonlyahat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A portrait of a tentative relationship. Fenris, Hawke, and a conversation at the edge of the firelight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Embers

_The chains bite into the skin of Fenris’ wrists and ankles. He can taste blood in his mouth and he’s dizzy from a blow to the head. The room swims before his eyes and he tries to focus on the man in front of him._

_“I am disappointed in you, Fenris,” Danarius says, his voice bored and indifferent._

_“Forgive me, Master,” Fenris chokes, swallowing blood._

_“Oh no, not today, my little wolf. I’m afraid that I’ll have to teach you a lesson. After all, it is the duty of a Magister to educate his lesser fellows.”_

_“Master, please –”_

_“Again,” Danarius says indifferently. Someone moves behind Fenris and then there is pain – Maker, there is pain – and Fenris screams – he screams and –_

Fenris bolts upright on his sleeping pad, his chest heaving. His fingers go to his neck, touching the delicate lyrium tracings there. His throat feels raw and he can taste the ghostly memory of blood in his mouth.

“Fenris?” a voice calls softly. Starting, Fenris squints out at the dark and sees Hawke step into the fading light of their fire. Suddenly he remembers. They are a few days outside of Kirkwall. Hawke had taken the first watch. Fenris glances around him. Varric and Anders are still sleeping a dozen or so paces away from him. Perhaps he had not cried out in his sleep after all.

“I came back to get some water... Are you alright?”

Fenris swallows. Sweat is drying on his skin in the cold night air. He resists the urge to shiver and nods, not looking at Hawke. For a moment, she says nothing and stands there, watching him. Considering.

“Do you think you could join me on my watch? I could use another set of eyes. ”

Fenris hesitates. If it were another night, if it were anyone else but Hawke… He nods.

“If you require my assistance, I will come,” he says, still without looking at her.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, walking away from the firelight.

Cursing himself for a fool, Fenris reaches to pull his pack forward. He rummages around for a clean shirt and chooses one with long sleeves because the night air is prickling against the lyrium scars on his arms. He stares at his greatsword for a moment before picking it up and carefully strapping it across his back. The weight feels strange without his armor but he knows that Hawke would grow concerned and come back to the camp if he took the time to pull on his breastplate and gauntlets.

Fenris’s mouth twists. He suspects that his desire to be armored has very little to do with Hawke’s request to join her on watch. His weakness disgusts him.

Taking care to move silently so as not to wake the others, Fenris heads in the direction Hawke had departed in. It takes his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. He glances around and sees a Hawke-shaped outline standing about fifty paces ahead of him. He steps lightly and quickly to join her and when they are together she wordlessly leads them away from camp.

In a few minutes, they reach the spot where she has set up her watch. Fenris can’t help but appreciate her choice. It is a well-sheltered location at the edge of a rock ledge. From this vantage point, they’ll be able to see anyone approaching from fifty yards in any direction. 

“A defensible location,” Fenris comments in a hushed whisper. He looks at the ground and carefully slides off his greatsword, resting it an arms-length away and sitting down. Hawke joins him.

“I thought you would approve,” she replies quietly. They sit in silence for a time, Fenris mostly ignoring the looks that Hawke occasionally sends in his direction.

“It’s nothing,” he says to her unanswered question.

“I didn’t ask.”

“No, you did not. But you were considering it and so I’m telling you, it’s nothing.”

She nods and looks back out into the darkness. It’s some time before she speaks again.

“I had nightmares for months after Bethany died.”

Fenris says nothing.

“And Carver, I swear he didn’t sleep for six weeks after Ostagar.”

Again, Fenris says nothing.

“People say that it helps to talk about these things.”

Fenris lets out a breath that is almost a laugh.

“People say many things. Dreams are just dreams, Hawke. I have always thought that discussing them makes them more… real.”

Hawke nods and looks out at the dark beyond the cliff’s edge.

“If you are tired, I can start the next watch early,” Fenris offers. He isn’t sure if he’s trying to be kind to Hawke or get rid of her. Both seem likely. The mage shakes her head.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll finish the watch. You’re welcome to go back to camp, if you want. Or… you can stay.”

Fenris thinks for a moment.

“I will stay,” he decides. Hawke nods and they say no more.   


End file.
